Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-11-11
IMPROVING THE NAVY.

IMPROVING THE NAVY.
Annual Report Of Ensineer-in.Chief
Melville.
WHAT SHOULD De DONE TO PREPARE FOR KNKRGES-
cIEs-PRksESr CONDITION OF THE vEssKLs-THE
QUESTION OF RkPA1R-PERsoNEIl OF THE NAVY
TOO MECH DrILrrANTEIsN.
The annual report OF Enyineer-in- Chief OF the
Navy Melville was made public to-day. The re-
port begins with q short account OF the general
operations Of the Bureau OF Steam Engineering
curing the past year. Considerable work has been
done In the way Of improving the speed and coal
endurance or some OF the old vessels OF the Navy
oy the addition OF a system OF forced draught.
Inc S"atara Is now being improved in that way,
ana the kearsarge, into which the boilers which
were made available by the adoption of forced
draught In the Alliance and Swatara are being
put, Is 10 be fitted in the same way. The work
done at each OF the navy yards, both on the ma
cnlnery OF naval vessels and In improving the con-
ulllon OF the shops, is described in detail. The
SHOPS at several OF the navy-yards are sufficiently
equipped for building marine machinery OF the
iageSt SIZE but are deficient in their resources Tor
should DO the case. In order
TO BE PREPARED For ANY EMERGENCY
wnen machinery would have to be built rapidly in
large quantities, additions OF modern tools should
be made. Complete hydraulic boiler-making
plants capable Of dealing rapidly with the thickest
steer plates, Is recommended to be put up at the
navy-yards at New York, Norfolk, and Mare
lsianu. Each OF the principal yards should be
equipped with testing machine OF the largest
mems as for proving parts which are to be ectualy
incorporated Into machinery. In this way engines
can be made much lighter than at present, as a
geat excess OF weight Is necessarily used in order
TO allow for hidden defects OF material All OF our
navy-yards are very defective In their general
arrangements. The shops are spread about too
mucn, AID are not near enough TO the water front
Tor material TO be handled promptly. The steam
generating plant for running engines in the various
Each bureau has its own boilers, sometimes sew
eral In different parts OF the yard. AT each yard
mere should De but one set OF boilers Tor this pur
pose, centrally located, from which underground
pipes would radiate to the places where the steam
Is used. There Is
TOO MUCH ROUTINE AND RED TATE
connected with the hayward management for
proper transaction OF business. The military fea.
lures are made more prominent than the building
ana repairing Of ships and machinery, and work
Is CnereDy delayed and Its cost Increased.
One OF the most Interesting parts OF the report
is mat which states the present condition OF the
machinery mac OF each vessel in the Navy, from an
lrOn-clan down TO O tug boat, with the amount
necessary 10 De spent In repairs or to Mt for sea.
Attention Is called TO a fact which has also been
mace prominent by Admiral Porter and by the
cheI constructor This Is that the old single tur-
ret monitors are the only armored vessels That we
possess IN state OF completion. We have Others
under way and In contemplation, but we would
nave 70 rely upon the old ships In case OF sudden
declaration OF war; These vessels sh Juld be kept
IN condition 10 be used In case OF any necessity
pleted; BY a very small outlay the speed OF all
the Old monitors can be considerably increased
ana the vessels consequently be made more ef1-
Client.
EDUCATION OF ENGINEERS
Attention is called to the gradual decrease in
the number OF engineer officers, there being
already an insufficient number to properly per-
form the duties. The reduction should be promptly
stopped anu tne number OF passed assistant engi-
nees restored TO the former number OF one hum
dred. Better provision should be made for the
education OF engineer Tor the service. The pres
ent system OF education at the Naval Academy,
which seeks TO make Observation-Disclosures OF the
students, Is not what Is needed AT the end OF the
second years course or study the cadets should be
divided into m1dsnipmen and cadet engineers and
all those not needed to fill vacancies be dropped
from the service to make way for new lot from
which TO make the next choice.
JUSTICE FOR THE CADETS.
The aid OF Congress Is asked to restore the pres
ent cadet engineers to their legal rights OF which
they were deprived by being discharged from the
service under d misinterpretation OF the law OF
August 5, 1882. They have been restored TO the
service, out, although the Supreme Court has
twice declared their discharge TO be Illegal they
Cannot oe restored TO their proper places on the
Navy list without action by Congress. Legislation
IS also asked for the purpose or putting engineer
graduates OF the Naval Academy on an equal foot
Ing with their classmates OF the line by making all
graduates take relative rank according to order
nerlt at the date OF graduation instead OF the en-.
gineers ranking after the line, as at present.
The duties or me Engineer-in-Chier frequently
call him away from " Washington, leaving benind
him technical work to be reformed, Tor which
there Is no proper person Responsible. There
should be an engineer assistant TO the Chief OF
Buseau TO do this work, tue same as q profess
slonal assistant is now provided Tor the Bureau OF
Medicine and surgery.
PRACTICE WHICH SHOULD BE STOPPED
The duties OF engineers on board ship are very
often misinterpreted by commanding officers. ON
some ships the engineers are required to stand
watch day and night when the machinery is not
running, and there is nothing 10 require their at
tentton. This standing or watches over a 'inaSS
OF cold cast-t-on" Is nonsenStcal, and takes away
O great part OF the interest which these officers
would otherwise take In the care and preservation
OF the machinery. Mr.. Melville remarks that 1.-THE
idea that an Oficer Is not doing his Iull share of
duty when he Is not as uncomfortable IL is pos
s1ble 10 make him Is too prevalent in the service
THERE Is TOO MUCH DnLLETANEIsN
In the Navy, the report says Many officers pay a
great deal more attention to the specialties OF
others than they DO to their own, with the result
that they become proficient In neither. -Four
bureaus furnish sJeain machinery to ships While
the Onicers or only one bureau are specially edu-
Gated and trained in the design and Manipulation
OF machinery. In the interest OF economy, har-
mony and efficiency this amateur engineering
paced under the Care OF the engineers, while the
other officers can md plenty 10 do in the wide
fields or their own professions.